


hooped earrings

by lavenderlow



Category: Twenty One Pilots
Genre: Disapproving Family, Josh is a sweetheart, M/M, Trans Character, Trans Male Character, haircuts!, he tries his best, i love the joseph family, sorry to make them out as monsters, trans!tyler, tylers just learnin how to be happy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-06
Updated: 2018-03-06
Packaged: 2018-10-19 10:16:36
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,485
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10637808
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lavenderlow/pseuds/lavenderlow
Summary: you have got to do this now, or you can never come home again.





	

**Author's Note:**

> so, second fic.
> 
> title is from the front bottoms song of the same title. it's really an amazing song, and you should listen to it! note- the first and last section are voice messages, from madison, tyler's sister. just a heads up! hope you enjoy!

_ “Hey Tyler, it’s Madison. Just calling to see if you have talked to Mom at all, cause mother’s day is coming up. I just was wondering what you’re gonna do for her. Uh, that’s all really, just checking in. Um, give me a call back later and I will talk to you soon. Alright? Bye.”  _

 

* * *

 

Josh sat on the back porch with Tyler in his arms. He tried to drown out the sounds of him sobbing, the wet patches on the side of Josh’s jacket slowly getting bigger. After everything that just happened, he was trying his best to be supportive, to stay happy, to not bolt out of the situation he was in immediately. Give him a break, there wasn’t much he could have said. What was the point of staying here? Why did Tyler insist to sit on the porch and cry instead of crying in the car while they made a break for somewhere like L.A., or New York, where they could be themselves...in peace.

 

“I’m glad I never really knew your mom. That would have made this a lot worse.” Josh was never good at breaking silence. He watched as Tyler stood up, rubbing away his tears.

 

“That’s what you’re gonna say to me, Josh? Really? You are so-” Tyler cut himself off with a frustrated grunt, and stomped away to the car. Josh thought he heard something muttered under his breath. Josh looked back to the house, standing up on his own to go get back in the car and drive back to their apartment. After everything that just happened, Josh couldn’t say that he was surprised. He knew that it was going to end up like this. Some people’s feelings got hurt and he would have to be the mediator.

 

* * *

 

_ Tyler walked into the house, Josh standing at his side. His mother stopped what she was doing in the kitchen to come embrace him, kissing him on the cheek and telling him how beautiful he looked. She ushered them to the kitchen table, telling them to wait a few minutes until lunch was ready. Tyler was almost jumping out of his seat with nervousness, clutching Josh’s hand hard under the table. _

 

_ As Mrs. Joseph sat down at the table, Josh cleared his throat as an emphasis for Tyler to start talking. Tyler looked over to his mother with a look in his eyes that could only be seen as disappointment. “Mom- I asked to come over to talk to you because I need to tell you something very important.” Josh could see the sweat on Tyler’s forehead, accentuating how nervous he was.  _

 

_ “Of course, baby. You can tell me anything.” Mrs. Joseph said with a smile on her face, putting her fork and knife down as Tyler cleared his throat.  _

 

_ “I’m transgender. I’m a boy. I’m so sorry to have to tell you this late- I’ve known since-” Tyler cut himself off, seeing the shocked look on his mother’s face. The only thing he could think was, oh, no. “Mom? I- I’d like if you respond, please.” _

_ “No daughter of mine- No daughter of mine will act like that. Don’t lie to me like this, Tyler. You were born a girl, a strong woman, and do you think I’m going to sit here and let you tell me you’re not?” She said, disbelief and disappointment in her gaze. Tyler felt so small, he thought he would be accepted, he thought everything would be happy and smiles and he would have to worry about nothing because he knew he was going to get the support from his family. But now everything has backfired on him and there is nothing left that he can do. _

 

_ “I’m getting my hair cut next week, and I’m getting surgery later in the year, Mom. You can’t change who I am anymore. I’m 18 now, and if you don’t want me as your son, you don’t get me at all.” Tyler was so close to crying, but there was nothing he could do now. But if his mother didn’t want  _ **_him,_ ** _ then she will not get him. _

 

_ “If you want to keep being delusional, Tyler, then you can get out of this house.” His mother was close to crying. He grabbed his coat and Josh’s hand and they walked out. _ __  
__  


* * *

 

 

So now, here they were, driving home in silence while Tyler rubbed at his puffy eyes. Josh kept the radio as quiet as possible, but still somewhat loud enough so that it wasn’t so tense. Josh didn’t know what to do, or say. He just sat and hoped that at least his presence would be comforting enough to Tyler. 

 

“Josh,” Tyler said, breaking the silence with his quiet voice. 

 

“Yeah, Tyler?” Josh answered, looking over at Tyler while they stopped at a red light. 

 

“Can you cut my hair when we get home?” He asked, his hands pulling at his shoulder length hair. “Please.”

 

“Of course.”

 

* * *

 

  
As they walked in, Tyler bolted directly to the bathroom. The first thing he did was fall down onto the floor, tears already spilling from his eyes. How could his own mother say something like that to him? Wasn’t it the mother’s job to love their child unconditionally and forever? What was he now? He would never be accepted back into the family now, there was nothing he could do now that he had made a fool of himself like that in front of his own mother. At this point, Tyler was full on sobbing and there was nothing he could do. He listened as Josh stomped to the bathroom, Tyler rubbing his eyes and standing up.

 

Josh walked in and did not question Tyler’s red eyes.

  
  


“Get the razor.” Tyler asked, his voice small and quiet. 

 

“Are you sure?” Josh asked, setting the scissors down on the counter and looking at Tyler’s eyes through the mirror. 

 

Tyler nodded.

 

“I have a suggestion before we do this.” Josh grabbed the scissors again, Tyler looking worried.

 

“Y-You can’t talk me out of this, Joshua, I want to shave it-” Josh could see the tears threatening to fall again. 

 

“Baby, I was gonna ask if maybe you wanted to donate your hair. To all the other people going through what you are.” Josh gestured to the scissors, hoping Tyler would say yes. 

 

“I- okay, Joshua. I understand. Let’s do that.” Tyler smiled, watching as Josh grabbed several hair ties and tied up his hair. Tyler started to hum, content with what was happening. He was happy, sitting here getting ready for his hair about to be cut. He has never been happier. 

 

In all but 10 minutes, the ponytails of hair were cut off and put in a box to send off. Now, Tyler watched as Josh turned on the razor, getting ready to go through his hair, wiping it all away. Before the razor hit his hair, Tyler looked at Josh’s eyes through the bathroom mirror.   
  


“I love you. Thank you.” And with that, Josh started to shave off his boyfriend’s hair.

 

The sound of the razor was comforting, pleasant, meaningful. It emphasized all the years he’s been fighting, been struggling, all the years he’s hid behind the shell of a “woman” with a boy’s voice and boy personality. The low buzzing helped him come to terms about how privileged he was to be here, under his boyfriend’s hands and a roof over his head when so many other people like him were praying for half as much. As the low hum of the razor continued, Tyler thought about everything that would happen after this, all of the next steps he would take. Like testosterone, top surgery, everything that he could do, just to be himself. For a little while, Tyler was unable to think of the hate.

 

As the razor came to a stop, Tyler looked at himself in the mirror, his head bare and fresh. He felt a sense of such a happiness that he could bawl, shed every tear that he would ever need to, because right here and right now Tyler was the closest to a boy he has  _ ever  _ been and he knew it would only go up from here. He really was a  _ he  _ right here in this moment and he couldn’t ask for anything more, he couldn’t ask for anything else in the whole world because as Tyler stood up, he jumped into his boyfriend’s arms and he was met with a smile and a quiet praise of “my beautiful, beautiful boy.”  

 

All Tyler wanted to do was cry, but this time of joy. He was safe in Josh’s arms, in his embrace, in his scent. Tyler was safe. 

 

* * *

 

_ “Is that what she deserved, Tyler?! I don’t want to be your sister anymore- you’re not my sister and you’re sure as hell not my brother! I’m so- pissed off at you!”  _

**Author's Note:**

> hope you liked it babes!! hit me up on tumblr - @tuliptyler and if you'd like to see me write something you can request it there. drop a comment too, if you'd like!!


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